Entry Level Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) - General Information:

Physical therapist practice is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and functional movement potential, within the spheres of promotion, prevention, maintenance, intervention/treatment, habilitation and rehabilitation. This encompasses physical, psychological, emotional, and social well-being. Physical therapist practice involves the interaction between physical therapist, patients or clients, families, care givers, other health care providers, and communities, in a process of assessing movement potential and in establishing agreed upon goals and objectives using knowledge and skills unique to physical therapists.

The entry level doctor of Physical Therapy program, offered by Institute of Health & Management Sciences, is especially designed to meet educational and clinical needs of physical therapists. The program will equip the students with core concepts and clinical training required to stay updated with latest knowledge and skills and prepare them to uptake the profession in future. The proposed program will be offered to students completing their intermediate level education and then this five Years educational program will enable them to practice as a physical therapist in the community.

The program is aimed to prepare Physical therapists who will;

• Act as primary providers of Physical therapy care
• Work as autonomous practitioners.
• Serve as responsible members in the professional community and are willing and able to assume leadership roles in the communities they serve.
• Exhibit Life-long learning and a commitment to professional development.
• Equipped with principles of evidence-based practice, knowledge and understanding of research methodology.

Objectives:

• Entry level DPT Program will prepare and equip physical therapists to practice in a variety of settings able to deliver services in both urban and rural communities, acknowledging their roles as facilitators and educators of other health personnel necessary for the attainment of physical therapy and patient/client goal.
• Entry level DPT Program will equip students with the necessary communication and decision-making skills to work in collaboration with their patients/clients, careers, other professionals, and colleagues.
• Entry level DPT Program will promote appropriate multi professional and inter professional learning experiences and practice.
• Entry level DPT Program will educate physical therapists who are knowledgeable, self assured, adaptable, reflective, humanistic, and service-oriented and who, by virtue of critical thinking, life-long learning, and ethical values, render independent judgments concerning patient/client needs.
• Entry level DPT Program will educate physical therapists who demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the basic and clinical sciences relevant to physical therapy, both in their fundamental context and in their application to the discipline of physical therapy.
• Entry level DPT Program will educate physical therapists who demonstrate mastery of entry level professional clinical skills. Provision of these services is based on the best available evidence and includes physical therapy examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, intervention, prevention activities, wellness initiatives and appropriate health care utilization.

Program of Study:

The duration of entry level DPT would be five years and will include class room lectures, laboratory, clinical demonstrations, supervised clinical practice and research. Each year would be followed by a professional examination which will be conducted by University. Every student must submit the research thesis within prescribed time to complete the degree. This program integrates theory, evidence and practice along a continuum of learning.

Statutes and Regulations for Entry level Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

General Regulations:

1. The degree of Doctor of Physical Therapy shall be conferred on a person who holds approved intermediate education – higher secondary school certificate from an approved board and passed his DPT course work and dissertation examination from Institute.
2. The outline of examination with marks distribution are given in Annexure “A” and syllabi and course of each subject are given in appendix.
3. Course outline and syllabi may be modified from time to time by the Academic council with the approval of syndicate. Statutes & Regulations may also be amended from time to time after fulfilling the codal formalities including approval of the Board of Governors in case of Regulations.
4. The academic requirements of entry level of Doctor of Physical Therapy program shall comprise of class room lectures, laboratories work, clinical demonstrations, supervised clinical practice and research project.
5. The duration of course shall be of five (5) years.
6. The medium of instruction and examination will be English except for Islamic Studies/Ethics and Pakistan Studies, with an option to attempt questions in Urdu.
7. Each student shall follow the syllabi and course of studies as may be prescribed by the Academic council from time to time by approval of the syndicate.
8. Every student shall be required to pay registration fee, examination fee and such other dues as determined by Institute from time to time

Regulations for Admissions:

1. The admission process shall be initiated after informing University and will be regulated according to University prescribed entry requirements.
2. The admission in entry level DPT program will be carried out according to prescribed manner and fulfilling the eligibility requirements.
3. There shall be an Institutional Admission Committee to supervise the admission process.

 The criteria for admission in the program would be:

1. At least 60 % marks (in aggregate) in F.Sc. (Pre Medical)/Equivalent as certified by the Inter Board Committee of Chairmen (IBBC)
2. The numbers of students to be admitted will be in line with the seat allocation approved by Institute. However, the seat allocation would be subject to revision by Institute in accordance with the infrastructure and facilities available at the institution. Student would follow admission criteria as set by Institute or University.
3. The students dropped from their studies due to shortage of lectures, poor performance, nonpayment of dues or misconduct shall not be re-admitted.
4. Anyone who has been expelled or rusticated by any University or College for misconduct or use of unfair means in the examination or any offence involving moral turpitude shall not be admitted into entry level DPT program.
5. All admissions made in contravention of these regulations shall be void.
   

Regulations for Examinations:

1. The students of entry level DPT shall be assessed monthly for their performance in studies, punctuality and discipline. Monthly performance reports must be kept in department and to be used for internal assessment.
2. Mark distribution outline of tests is given at Annexure “A”.
3. Examinations for DPT shall consist of five parts, titled First Professional, Second Professional, Third Professional, Fourth Professional and Final Professional Examination. Respective Professional Examination shall be held at the end of 1st year, 2nd year, 3rd year, 4th year & 5th year.
4. Respective Professional Examination shall be held twice a year at dates fixed by the Vice Chancellor of the University on the recommendations of the Controller of Examinations.
5. The minimum number of marks required to pass Professional Examination for each subject shall be fifty percent (50%) in theory, fifty percent (50%) in the oral & practical examination and fifty percent (50%) in the aggregate at one and the same time. Candidates who secure ninety fivepercent (95%) or above marks in any subject shall be declared to have passed “with distinction” in that subject and no candidate who does not pass in all the subjects of a Professional Examination as a whole at one and the same time shall be declared to have passed “with distinction” in any subject.
6. The continuous internal assessment shall contribute 10% to the total allocated marks for each subject. These marks will be equally distributed to the final Theory and Oral & Practical Examinations scores and not to an individual sub-component like MCQs, SEQs, Viva Voce, practical and OSPE etc.
7. A candidate who passes in one or more subject but fails in the annual examination shall, if he/she so desires, provisionally be allowed to join the next higher class till the commencement of supplementary examinations. The candidate, however, shall have to pass the failed subjects in this supplementary examination failing which the candidate shall be detained in the class in which he/she had failed. Under no circumstances a candidate shall be promoted to next higher class till he/she has cleared all subjects in the Professional Examination of preceding class. The regulation shall be applicable to all categories of candidates, whether fresh or failed.
8. A candidate who fails to pass First Professional Examination in four consecutive chances, availed or un-availed, after becoming eligible for First Professional Examination, shall cease to become eligible for further education in Physical Therapy at the University.
9. The Professional Examination shall be open to any student who:
   1. has completed prescribed education of that year in the discipline after admission or has passed in the previous Professional Examination as the case may be.
   2. has his/her name submitted to the Controller of the Examinations by the Principal / Head of the College/Institution in which he/she is enrolled.
   3. has his/her marks of internal assessment in each of the subjects of the respective Professional Examination sent to the University with submission of his/her name to the Controller of Examinations.
   4. produces the following certificates duly verified by the Principal of his her College:-
      1. of good character;
      2. of having attended not less than seventy five percent (75%) of the full course of lectures delivered and practicals conducted in each of the subjects of the Professional Examination.
10. Every candidate shall forward to the Controller of Examinations his/her application for admission to the examination at least four weeks before the commencement of the examination accompanied by the prescribed fee. (Awards of internal assessment in all the subjects of all the candidates shall be submitted to the Controller of Examinations along with Admission Forms for the annual examination. Internal assessment received after commencement of the examination shall not be accepted. The marks of internal assessment shall be submitted only once a year prior to annual examination and the same shall be counted for both annual and supplementary examinations. It is further emphasized that fresh internal assessment or a revision of assessment for supplementary examination shall not be permissible. The internal assessment award in a particular year will not be decreased subsequently detrimental to the candidate. Proper record of the continuous internal assessment shall be maintained by respective departments.
11. Whenever the application or the fee of the candidate is received after the last date prescribed above, the candidate shall pay the prescribed double the ordinary admission fee, provided that such application shall only be entertained if it is received not less than 14 days before thecommencement of the examination.
12. A student securing first position in University Examinations shall be awarded a “Certificate of Merit” provided that he/she obtains a total of at least 75% marks and has passed all the professional examinations in first attempt.
    

Regulations for appointment of Examiners in Theory:

1. Board of studies of University shall recommend a panel of examiners/paper setters in each of the subjects in a professional examination.
2. The Vice Chancellor shall, on recommendations of the Controller of Examinations, appoint the examiners/paper setters for a particular examination out of the panel recommended by the board of studies.
3. The Oral & practical examination shall be conducted by one internal and one external examiner.
4. The external examiner shall be a Physical Therapist (for subjects related to Physical Therapy education) or a Subject specialist (for subjects other than Physical Therapy education) preferably from the institutions affiliated with UHS or any other HEC recognized institution.
5. No person shall be appointed as an examiner who has near relation i.e., father, mother, full and half brother and sister, paternal and maternal uncle, father in law, mother in law, sister in law, son in law, daughter in law, wife, son, daughter or husband appearing in the paper to be set or examined by him/her.
6. The award lists of practical examinations shall be submitted to the Controller of examinations by both internal and external examiners, independently.
7. The controller of examinations shall compile and declare the result on the basis of evaluation record in theory and practical examinations submitted by examiners strictly in accordance with the regulations.
8. Examinations shall be conducted in approved examination centers which will be notified by the Controller of examiner.

Research Work and Appointment of Supervisor:

1. Every student in his final year of studies shall prepare a ‘Dissertation’ on a research title proposed in consultation with a faculty appointed as his/her supervisor by the Head of the Department. Topic of research dissertation shall be approved by Institutional Research Committee appointed by the Head of the Institution.
2. The research supervisor must hold a postgraduate/post-professional degree which shall not be less than T-DPT / M.Phil / M.Sc. in Physical Therapy and have at least one published research paper in any reputable national or international journal. Whenever necessary, a co supervisor shall be appointed with similar qualifications prescribed for the supervisor.
3. Student shall perform research work in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the DPT degree.
4. Four copies of dissertation shall be submitted to the Controller of examinations of University before the commencement of professional examination of the final year entry level DPT.
5. The dissertation shall be printed in A4 size paper and black covered hard binding with gold lettering on the front in the prescribed manner.

Regulations for Dissertation Examination:

1. The Vice Chancellor shall appoint one external examiner for thesis examination out of the panel approved by the Board of Studies
2. Dissertation shall be sent for evaluation to external examiner well in time before the date of research viva-voce examination.
3. On approval of the external examiner, the Controller of Examination will announce the date of defense of dissertation.
4. Dissertation viva-voce examination shall be conducted by the external examiner and, who shall submit a report on suitability of the candidate for the award of the degree. The supervisor will act as coordinator.

Student Discipline:

1. Institute shall keep a record of student’s progress on monthly basis which will contain academic performance, attendance record and behavior. The record shall form the basis for internal assessment of the student.
2. All the students shall abide by the Rules, Regulations and Statutes of the institute and follow directions issued by the university from time to time.
3. No student shall, through document or by any communication, approach in the press in his own name or through an association. No student shall take part in political activities or form union or associations etc.
4. Every student shall be provided with the details of rules and regulations to be observed during the period of study by the institute.

MARKS DISTRIBUTION

DOCTOR OF PHYSICAL THERAPY (DPT) PROGRAM

FIRST PROFESSIONAL YEAR

• ANATOMY –I 400hrs 200 Marks
• PHYSIOLOGY-I 300hrs 200 Marks
• KINESIOLOGY-I 450hrs 200 Marks
• ISLAMIC STUDIES/ETHICS & PAKISTAN STUDIES 150hrs 100 Marks
• BIOSTATISTICS-I 300Hrs 100 Marks
• FUNCTIONAL ENGLISH 300 Hrs 100 Marks

First Professional Doctor of Physiotherapy Examination

• Total Marks = 900
• Pass Marks= 50%

Paper Subjects

Paper-I

• Anatomy I Theory 90 Marks
• Internal Assessment 10 Marks
• Practical/Oral 100 Marks
• Total Marks=200
  

Paper-II

• Physiology I Theory 90 Marks
• Internal Assessment 10 Marks
• Practical/Oral 100 Marks
• Total Marks=200

Paper-III

• Kinesiology I Theory 90 Marks
• Internal Assessment 10 Marks
• Practical/Oral 100 Marks
• Total Marks=200

Paper-IV

• Islamic Studies / Ethics & Pakistan Studies Theory 100 Marks